


Affection

by fat_fish_in_space



Category: Aliens (1986)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, First Love, Fluff, Height Differences, Ripley is tol and angery and Bishop is smol and cute, Ripley is totally gonna warm up to him, gift courting, i guess android/human relationship, poor Bishop is confused by humans and feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-08
Updated: 2017-04-08
Packaged: 2018-10-16 14:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10572879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fat_fish_in_space/pseuds/fat_fish_in_space
Summary: Bishop wishes Ripley would see more than a reminder of her dark past when she looks at him.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Привязанность](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11898996) by [Shenger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shenger/pseuds/Shenger)



> Yeah so...
> 
> Enjoy?

Being an android among humans was both fascinating and tiring at times. Bishop enjoyed observing their behaviors and rituals, the way they moved, reacted to certain situations. Yet, despite his extensive bank of knowledge, he still had trouble understanding their ways. And this frustrated him.

A lot.

This was also strange. He was an artificial person. According to his creators, he was not supposed to have _feelings_ of any kind. And despite that, he did _feel_.

And the person who provoked most of those new, uncharted sensations, was one Ellen Ripley.

While other humans were interesting, Ripley was something else. She stood out among the rest of the team put together to check on the colony. She was quiet most of the time, withdrawn. There was a deep sadness that followed her wherever she went, a loss that haunted her tired eyes. But when she did something, she put all of herself into it despite that. Ripley also had this… commanding aura around her. People on the ship listened to her. They flocked towards her like lost sheep. Even the soldiers who seemed to care nothing for rules and their behavior still seemed to feel instinctively that Ripley was not someone to mess with.

But that also meant that they didn’t trust her much. She wasn’t one of them after all. To all of them, Ripley was like one of the aliens she spoke about, a living artifact of the past. She spoke differently, she didn’t put up with any bullshit, she wasn’t here to make nice with anybody.

Ripley reminded Bishop a little of himself.

They were both too different from the others and it made them outcasts of the team; one artificial and the other from a time long past.

So it didn’t come to Bishop as a surprise that he started to study the woman closer.

And the more he watched her the more he seemed to be _feeling_.

He knew about feelings like affection and how humans got intimate. And for some reason that Bishop did not understand, something that happened with Ripley a lot and caused him to get agitated easily, was that he yearned for her to like him.

After she told him to stay away from her he could swear that something must have broken in his wiring, because he felt pain in his receptors around the heart area. At first he thought it was just a coincidence and checked himself over three times, before realizing that there was nothing wrong with his insides.

So Bishop accessed his data banks and looked for information.

When he stumbled upon human mating rituals he almost chuckled at the obviousness of it all. Then he realized that he was artificial and this was not normal behavior for him. At least according to his manual.

Yet, despite knowing that this was highly unusual, Bishop could not stop the confusing signals his brain was sending. He caught himself looking at Ripley more than necessary, wondering about the softness of her curly hair, how approachable and nice she looked with that small smile of hers. His gaze would follow her every move, his inhuman hearing picking up on her sighs and mumblings that no one else could hear. Bishop sometimes heard her humming softly to herself, a melody he was not able to recognize, but enjoyed.

The android was also the only witness to her night terrors that she woke up from screaming bloody murder. He wanted to go to her every time this happened, to calm her and sooth her. But he respected her wish and did not approach her, even if his receptors would scream in pain at him. All he could do was make sure that the rest of the crew did not awaken and witness her moments of weakness. From what he observed about Ripley, she hated to be pitied and wanted to be seen as a strong person. So Bishop gave her that.

But soon it wasn’t enough, just watching and helping her silently. He wanted Ripley to see him as more than a reminder of an android that went rogue and hurt her. Bishop just wanted this fascinating woman to see him as himself and that he was ready to do anything in his power to prove himself to her.

It started with small things. An extra protein bar with her preferred flavor appearing next to her breakfast tray. Then a small flower made from copper wires he found in the storage room. A new shirt hung in her wardrobe made from a softer material than the one given to the soldiers. Even a cream to help sooth her dry skin.

Of course at first she was suspicious about the gifts. Thankfully she didn’t outright ask who gave them to her, but she also didn’t seem to accept them.

But after some time Bishop noticed her munching on that blueberry bar he put on her bedside table, that she was wearing the soft, olive shirt he actually sew together himself. He smiled in a quiet response to her own smile when she was looking at the copper rose he made for her.

It was nice, those _feelings_. Bishop could say that he truly felt happiness when Ripley’s beautiful, brown eyes sparkled with joy nowadays at every new gift.

But while this would have been enough for Bishop before, to be a secret admirer of his muse from the distance, he was still an android. He was curious by creation and he started to think about more daring things.

For example, what would it feel like to kiss Ripley.

After all, was this not how humans showed affection after the courting period? He considered the gifts and the length of time to be appropriate for Ripley to reject his advances. Possibly. Bishop still felt confusion when reading in his data banks about the mating rituals of humans. Was he supposed to tell her first that it was him who gave her all those things, or maybe she already knew. But how was he to make sure? Ripley was still indifferent towards him, even if the gifts did make her warm up to everybody.

Suddenly, a new feeling made itself known to the poor android. It was cold and unpleasant, and it spread through his body like fire.

What if Ripley thought the presents and courting were done by someone else?

It was in that moment that some strange push forced Bishop to leave his work and with confident steps move towards Ripley’s room. He had to tell her that it was him in case she got the wrong idea. The android wanted to see the reaction of the woman he started to feel _affection_ for as he told her of all the things that he was doing for her. Bishop was certain that this time Ripley would not reject him and welcome him with a warm smile.

But something stopped him just before he knocked on the door. That strange, cold feeling enveloped him in its arms again. He realized what it was then.

_Fear_.

It was fascinating to experience so many different emotions in such a short time. Although, Bishop had to admit, he would rather not go through fear ever again if he could. He did not enjoy it.

“Bishop? What the hell are you doing here?”

Oh, Ripley was standing in front of him. How embarrassing.

“Miss Ripley, I wish to speak with you about something important, if you wouldn’t mind?” He answered gently and calmly, hoping that the woman wouldn’t get even more agitated by his presence.

He watched the distrust in Ripley’s eyes with deep sadness. Bishop hoped that soon it would vanish.

“I told you to stay away from me.” She told him coldly, not moving from the now open door.

Bishop looked at her silently for a moment, wondering what to say. Ripley was unpredictable and even a little thing could set her off.

“It is a personal matter. It’s about… the gifts you have been receiving. I know who has been giving them to you.” He spoke, trying to gauge her reaction.

Ripley’s eyes sparkled at that information, but she still looked reluctant and distrustful.

“Do you now? Ok, tell me then.”

“I would rather discuss this in the privacy of your room, if you do not mind.”

A heavy silence followed. Ripley’s face took on a dark look, her brows furrowed and lips pulled into a tight line.

“The last time I was alone in a room with one of yours I almost got killed. The answer is no. You either tell me here or you can scram.” Was her almost hissed out reply.

Bishop understood her reaction and did not fault her for it. Even if he did find it slightly illogical, considering he was a different model and one with a chip that made sure he could not harm humans. Yet, he knew humans sometimes held too strongly onto their emotions and would not think rationally.

“Very well then. I have been the one giving you those gifts.”

There, he said it. As most humans, and especially Ripley, were often illogical in their behavior, he did not know what to expect.

He definitely didn’t calculate for Ripley to literally haul him physically into her room and close the door.

Before he could get his bearings, Ripley already had her fists in his shirt and slammed him into the closed door. For some reason, Bishop completely missed the obvious fact that he was much shorter than the woman. It seemed insignificant before, but now he wished he took it into consideration. He felt so small compared to the clearly furious Ripley, looking at him with fire in her brown eyes.

“Explain.” She snapped shortly.

If his creators ever told him that an artificial being cannot feel nervous then he would tell them it’s bullshit. Because right now Bishop could feel his hands clenching and unclenching in an unusual display of lack of control over his body.

“I do not believe violence is necessary in this situation Miss Ripley…” He started slowly, but Ripley simply showed him a little harder against the door.

“And I think it is. Now explain. Why the hell would you give me all those gifts? Is this some kind of evil plan of yours? To butter me up and then stab me in the back when I least expect it?”

Her tone, her posture, her words – all of it was full of anger. But Bishop could also detect frustration, confusion, and most of all fear. The android didn’t wish for Ripley to feel such negative emotions around him.

He wanted to see her smile that soft smile when she held his copper rose.

Later, he would blame it on his wires overheating or some other malfunction. But in that moment Bishop didn’t pay any mind to the cold logic that dictated the life of an android. In that one moment, he felt…

Human.

When his artificial lips touched those warm, human ones, his processors seemed to stop. Bishop was feeling too much at once. The smell of Ripley hit his sensors, something… wild and free, like the breeze of the ocean, or the wind in a forest. He felt the texture of her skin, her lips. They were slightly chapped, uneven, but so, so warm, compared to his cold, fake surface. She tasted like blueberries.

He read about human intimacy. Bishop spent hours studying the different ways one would confess their feelings, how a kiss should look like, what took place after. He practiced the perfect scenario in his head so many times, but also tried to take into account that things could go a different way. But he did not suspect for even a moment that the person who would surprise him the most with their behavior would be…

Himself.

Bishop knew that with his actions he could have made Ripley either accept him or begin to hate him even more. He hoped that the latter wouldn’t come to pass.

 A sound left him that surprised the android himself. Did he just… moan? Is that what it was called? This strange sound that humans let out only when feeling pleasure or pain. He never before had a reason or an opportunity to make it.

So strange.

Shyly, he pushed a little into the kiss, feeling his heels leave the ground slightly. Ripley finally seemed to get over whatever shock made her freeze when he first connected their lips.

But she didn’t push him away like Bishop expected her to. Instead, the fists holding his shirt brought him closer to the woman as she groaned in some strange mix of misery and tiredness.

Bishop almost moved away when Ripley opened her mouth and a tongue poked his lips to get them to do the same. He read about this of course, but reading and practice were two different things. And with human unpredictability, it was hard to decide what was the right course of action.

But if it was what Ripley wanted then he would give her everything he could.

Unsure, he opened his mouth slightly. Ripley didn’t waste any time and deepened the kiss. Bishop could feel the skin become silky due to excess saliva, strong teeth worrying at his bottom lip as the woman brought him even closer, making him stand on his toes now so he could give her a comfortable angle to continue.

Ripley let go of his mouth for a moment, but only left a small space separating them. Bishop could see her brown eyes, now dark and full of things he could not yet name; things he did not get to experience. Her breathing was fast and the android was sure Ripley was experiencing a rise in adrenaline.

“You are…” She started in a breathless whisper, but stopped, her lips returning to his.

Bishop’s hands found purchase on her strong arms as she once more connected them. He felt warm, so warm he started to worry he would overheat his systems. Another sound left him and it seemed that Ripley enjoyed it, because one of her hands managed to move behind his head and he felt fingers in his hair. They cradled through them, Ripley for sure feeling their artificial texture, too perfect for a human.

For some unknown reason, this worried Bishop. Did Ripley enjoy touching someone so cold and inhuman as him?

With a trembling hand (and how was that possible, he was sure he should not experience such dysfunction), he reached to touch Ripley’s hair. Bishop wanted to know if it was as soft as he imagined.

The first contact was enough to bring his companion out from whatever amorous state she was in before. Ripley tore her lips away from his and with wide, shocked eyes, she pushed him away from her. She took a few steps back, looking at Bishop in disbelief.

A heavy silence followed. Bishop gazed at her with questioning eyes, needing Ripley to say something, anything. What was going through her head right now, what was she feeling…

What would she do now after his confession and the kiss?

“Why?” The question was so quiet that if he didn’t have superior hearing he probably would have missed it.

“Because I have found myself feeling a certain kind of _affection_ for your Miss Ripley. I know you probably won’t believe me because of my android status and your previous misfortune with my kind. But my declaration is honest and I would be glad if you at least considered… warming up to me, as you humans say.” He spoke calmly despite the rush of things going through him seconds ago.

Such was the fate of an artificial person, he supposed. Maybe his creators weren’t right about him being unable to feel, but nothing changed the fact that he was still more machine than man.

He could calm down faster than Ripley.

The other occupant of the room gazed at him for a long moment. But then she turned around, her back to him. Bishop’s artificial heart beat faster. For her to act so vulnerable in front of him was a great show of trust. The android appreciated it.

“I need time to think.” She whispered.

While not the response he expected to hear, it was still better than outright rejection. Bishop knew how to count his victories, even if small.

“Of course. I will leave you to your thoughts then. Goodnight Miss Ripley.” He said softly and turned around himself to open the door.

Just as he was leaving, he heard her shuffling feet on the floor.

“Bishop?” Came the unsure voice.

He did not turn around, knowing that it was not the time.

“Yes, Miss Ripley?”

“Thank you… For the gifts.” She said softly.

He could hear the smile in her voice and felt his own lips lift up in response.

“You are very welcome, Miss Ripley.”

 


End file.
